Tata Harrier vs Tata H5X: How Its Looks Have Evolved

Besides the unconventional placement of the headlamps, the Tata Harrier seems to be shaping up into an SUV that will have an immense road presence

Tata has revealed that its upcoming SUV based on theH5XConcept will be called the Harrier. The carmaker also teased us with some images of the production-spec Harrier for the first time. At the 2018 Auto Expo in New Delhi, where Tata revealed the H5X Concept, it promised that the production-spec SUV will retain over 80 per cent of the concept’s design. Has Tata managed to keep its word? Let’s find out.

The Tata Harrier is expected to have headlamps placed on the bumpers, while the front grille should be flanked by a set of sleek daytime running LEDs. It might be the first time when a mainstream SUV will get the headlamps in an unconventional position in India. That said, we’ve already seen some modern SUVs like the India-boundnew-gen Hyundai Santa Fesporting headlamps on the front bumper.

The Harrier will debut Tata’s latest Impact 2.0 design language that future Tata SUVs are also likely to follow. Expect LED projector headlamps to be housed on the bumper where the concept features a tri-arrow lamp element. All in all, Tata seems to have actually managed to retain much of the face of the H5X Concept in the Harrier.

What makes the Tata H5X concept distinctive is its sheer size (length of 4,547mm). It’s no secret that the Tata Harrier’s platform (OMEGA ARC) is a derivative of Jaguar Land Rover’s D8 architecture. The D8 architecture (internally codenamed L550) underpins the popular LRDiscovery Sport. And Tata has now confirmed that the OMEGA ARC and D8 will have an identical wheelbase.

So,like the H5X, the Harrier too will have a whopping wheelbase of 2,740mm, same as the Discovery Sport. Compared to theCretaand the Compass, the Harrier’s wheelbase is 150mm and 104mm more, respectively. The Harrier should definitely set new benchmarks when it comes to interior space and road presence compared to rivals.

Design-wise, the Harrier takes forward the concept’s sharp character lines, a swooping roofline, a distinctive kink around the C-pillar and huge wheel wells. Tata has retained the concept’s C-pillar styling with a distinctive upward kink (not as sharp as on the concept, though) beyond the rear door. That, along with what looks like a ceramic window line design element, gives the Harrier a floating roof-like design.

The Harrier retains the sloping roofline of the concept, but Tata has incorporated a relatively bigger rear windshield compared to the H5X’s teeny tiny unit. And with the possible addition of a bigger windshield, the wrap-around tail lamps might have been shifted lower compared to their position in the concept.

Unlike the concept, the Tata Harrier will have a dual-tone paint scheme (orange+black) as seen on the official sketches released by Tata Motors. The roofline, which slopes down like on the concept, has an identical integrated spoiler. The insanely styled outside rearview mirrors of the H5X Concept though have made way for Nexon-like chunkier units. The wheel sizes of the Harrier should be larger than its rivals considering the concept had 22-inchers. Expect at least 19-inchers on the Harrier, same as the Tata Hexa. Overall, the Harrier seems to have retained the style elements on the sides, but with an added dose of practicality (read a bigger rear windshield).

As mentioned above, the Harrier gets a larger windshield compared to the Auto Expo show car. The wrap-around tail lamps will be connected by a glossy black insert that houses the logo. The internal LED detailing of the tail lamps look similar to the concept’s too.

Until now, we think Tata has successfully managed to retain much of the H5X Concept’s design. Do you think the Harrier’s design has the right dose of flash or is it too loud? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.